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Wow, here I was thinking that our snowpack was just about getting solid enough for da big lines. After reading this, I can wait about a month.

http://avalanche.state.co.us/pub_bc_avo.php?zone_id=1

Interesting report. I'm sure some details are lacking, but it sounds like the guy was intending to drop the face and cut into Dead Dog solo, in the middle of February? That's the sort of line I would wait till spring corn season to hit.

I guess it's the good that he dug a pit, but the from the report, the place he chose to dig it is about the most exposed spot on all of Torreys.

Stay safe out there.

This guy was really lucky not to get swept down this face. The line he was on has a few sizable cliffs to thread through, he would have been flushed over these. It is interesting to note the that this avy apparently released another slide in Dead Dog, and that this was apparently a sympathetic release. I am a little suprised by this, as the slope the skier was on did not release when ski cut.
In any case, there is a hard smooth layer in the snowpack, and in some spots the newer snow has not bonded all that well. Conditions are varying by exposure and location, on the same day the Dragon's Tail Gully (in RMNP) was skied without incident (by a local guide). New snow has changed things somewhat since then, but I still believe we have a much more stable snowpack than we usually have at this time of year in CO.

Funny you mention that. I skiied Dragon's Tail about the same time last year and it was solid. I've heard things about RMNP being an anomaly of avalanche safety. Not saying its always totally safe, but that it doesn't have much activity relative to the rest of the front range.

This has been interesting event. The kid needs a mentor. Here's his stuff at 14ers.
The Torrey's trip:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=5658

Asking for help retrieving his gear:
http://www.14ers.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=17737

To get an idea of his past endeavors:
http://www.14ers.com/php14ers/tripreport.php?trip=5351

TGR has also gotten a hold of this stuff too. Poor kid.

Oh man, that's like releasing a pack of wild baboons onto a keg of Icehouse next to a tied-up and gagged Lindsay Lohan.

Unfortunately, I already laughed at a group of mentally handicapped people at the rec center today having a spirited debate about the Rockies upcoming season...I feel like enough of an asshole today. Although some of the things that kid posted on 14ers.com are certainly comical...

Ha ha ha ... that was great. Thank you for that.

Wow, that kid needs some serious help/guidance. I just read through all of his stuff on 14ers . . . yikes.

A few of my favorite bits:
-2 out of his 3 14ers.com TR's have ended with SAR being called.
-One of his goals is to climb Rainier this March. I really hope he doesn't want to be caught up there in a storm like he seems to enjoy in the Rockies.
-This picture with his skis up on the face:

-And the whole Missouri report is a classic. Lighting the tent on fire, throwing the stove outside the tent, and lighting the dog on fire. Then "I was willing to risk dying to ski down" and finally "All our water froze and I was honestly too tired to dig through my bag and get out the stove. I chugged a decent amount of my cheap whiskey and then passed out."

Nothing like Whiskey to rehydrate you

Oh man, that poor dog! I'm not innocent when it comes to doing stupid things (bushwacking down La Plata Basin instead of crossing over to the trail in the Gulch comes to mind)....but man, this kid's TR's seem to highlight the stupid things.

Is that kid just trying to fulfill the PA kid gone to CO for college stereotype, or what? I mean, I see stupid people when I'm working in the mountains all the time over the summer, but that kid takes the cream of the crop. Almost beats the story of the lady "hiking" in high heel shoes at 4:30 along the Crawford Path asking how far away the shuttle station was, because she had to get back to the summit of Mt Washington before the last train left for the base at 5.

This guy is a piece of work ... When I was reading through all these links, I was almost pinching myself .... is this for real?.....

Quote from the above mentioned trip:
My partner viewed the trip as a total disaster. I viewed it as a kick a$$ adventure. It really made me pumped to do so many more winter ascents this year. I‘ve since gotten so much faster and, what, we have like another month until it starts seriously snowing,? OH YES!

Not that it diminishes the ridiculousness of this all, but I think that comment was from an October post of a March trip report (just so folks don't take the timing out of context).

Wonder if I'll read about this kid in the Seattle newspapers soon